Miri's Skyrim Story
by 7Choppy7
Summary: Miri is taken to Helgen to get her head chopped off and ends up being Dragonborn! Adventure to be had and fortune to be made!


Skyrim

Ugh…where am I? I twist my head around to look at my surroundings. 4 humans are silhouetted around me with a horse. Horse? We're moving and we are on a carriage. Carriage? My vision is starting to clear. We are going down the mountain. I have no clue where we are. It's cold and the humans are clearer to look at now. The one that is holding the reins doesn't look back but is heavily armoured. The other three are wearing rags and their hands are bound. I look down. Mine are too. The man across from me has blond hair and golden eyes. The one next to him is tanned with brown hair. I can't make out the third though. We continue down the steep hill. "Hey! You! You're finally awake." The blond human says, smiling. "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there." He gestured with his head to his right.

"Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy." The thief snapped. "If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and made it halfway to Hammerfell." He looked to me. "You there. You and me - We shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." I shook my head in response. We're here now. 'Before' doesn't matter.

"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." The blond said, gently.

"Shut up back there!" The human at the front yelled. I suddenly recognised his armour. It was Imperial armor. We were captured.

"And what's wrong with him, huh?" The thief asked, ignoring the Imperial soldiers warning. The man next to me was wearing a dark robe with a dirty white rag tied across his mouth. He had blond hair, like the first and was looking at the horse thief with blue eyes.

"Watch your tongue! You speak to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true high king." The first blond defended the poor man with a feirceness I hadn't expected, given his glibness.

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion." The horse thief quavered. I sensed his fear and anxiety building. "But if they've captured you…Oh gods, where are they taking us?" He asked fearfully. We were getting close to a small village that I didn't recognise.

"I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits." The first blond said softly.

"No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening." The horse thief was shifting nervously and shaking his head from side to side, trying to convince himself. The stables on the outskirts of the city were so close we could touch them.

"Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?" The blond asked over a moment of silence.

"Why do you care?" He snapped back, but still quavering.

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." The blond replied calmly.

"Rorikstead. I…I'm from Rorikstead." The thief replied, not daring to meet the blonde's eyes. We were approaching the high, stone walls. On it were a row of Imperials.

"General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting." One of them shouted.

"Good, let's get this over with." I didn't see Tullius, but I could sense him watching us as we went through the large archway.

"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me." The horse thief prayed.

"Look at him," The blonde scoffed. "General Tullius, the Military Governor." I looked around again. He was standing by another horse and carriage, with a handful of elves. He observed us as we passed through the archway. "And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this." The blonde muttered. We advanced into the city. "This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with the juniper berries mixed in." He said, dreamily. I rolled my eyes. We passed a large tower the Imperials were standing watch at. "Funny. When I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." He said sadly. We passed a cottage with a little boy sitting on the porch.

"Who are they, Daddy? Where are they going?" He asked.

"You need to go inside, little cub." Their voices, fading into the distance.

"Why? I want to watch the soldiers." The boy complained.

"Inside the house. Now." The father said, fiercely. We couldn't hear them now. Their voices muffled by the soldier's own.

"Whoa!" He slowed the horse.

"Get these prisoners out of the carriage! Move it!" A woman's voice yelled.

"Why are we stopping?" The horse thief asked, anxiously.

"Why do you think? End of the line." The blonde said. The horse stopped at a large stone wall. The soldier got off the carriage. "Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."

"No! Wait, we're not rebels!" The horse thief shouted.

"Face your death with some courage, thief."

"You've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!" The horse thief protested. We clomped down the wooden steps, where a female that was wearing steel armour, a soldier of some kind, and a man with a quill were waiting for us. I noticed that he too, was armoured.

"Step towards the block when your name has been called. One at a time." The female instructed. She must be their captain.

"Empire loves their damn lists." The blonde muttered. I snorted.

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Jarl of Windhelm." The man with the quill said.

"It has been an honour, Jarl Ulfric!" The blonde shouted after him as Ulfric followed a soldier.

"Ralof of Riverwood." The man said. The blonde, Ralof, followed Ulfric's path. "Lokir of Rorikstead."The man continued.

"No, I'm not a rebel. You can't do this!" Lokir panicked. He ran up the path we came, as buildings were flanking him so he could go no other way.

"Halt!" The captain yelled. "Archers!" She shouted.

"You're not gonna kill me!" He screamed back at them. He nearly made it around the corner but collapsed when one of the archers' arrows struck him in the back. I snorted at him for thinking he could get out of here without the Imperials following.

"Anyone else feel like running?" The captain threatened.

"Wait. You there. Step forward."The quilled man said. I did as I was told. "Who are you?"

"Mi'ri" I growled.

* * *

We burst into the empty room, it was all stone apart from a faded red rug that was tattered and stained. A table and chair were at the far end of the room. I glanced at the ceiling menacingly while I followed Ralof while he said some parting words to his dead comrade. He turned to me and said something about the dragon. I didn't care. It may have saved me from the headsman's ax but I felt pure hatred for what it had done to innocent people. I knew it was an animal, but I couldn't help but feel a very human-like _connection_. "Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off." I hissed under my breath and backed farther away from him. Ralof sighed at my response. "Those binds aren't going to cut themselves." He was clearly getting irritated. I growled at him,and opened my mouth, revealing my sharp feline fangs that were larger than a normal cat's and cut my bonds away. His expression said he was surprised but his voice was scolding. "Next time, you should let me help you." He gave a smile and walked over to a iron, barred gate and tried to open it. It was stiff as he tried to pull the lever down. I smirked.

"Well, I doubt they would let us off easy." Ralof turned to me and grinned.

"I knew you could talk." He said, his grinning going from ear to ear. I rolled my eyes and turned them to slits. He turned back to the gate and started to shake it. "Damn. It's locked." He said, still shaking the iron gate "Go see about that gate." He pointed towards the other end of the room. I slitted my eyes again and walked over to the gate. It was wooden and barred. The wood could have been tree stumps for all I knew. I tried to figure a way through. "Will it open?" Ralof asked, hopefully. He almost made me jump a mile. I glared at him.

"Not from this side it won't." I growled and backed away to let him through. He studied it and then tried to fit his hand through its square holes. "Ralof, don't-" I was cut off by the imperial captain.

"Come on, quickly!" She said. I looked through a little hole on the bottom of the wooden door. Her heavy steel armor was clanking and echoing down the stone hallway. She approached us quickly, but her armor weighed her down a fair bit and made her get fatigued easier. I pushed Ralof down on my left and I darted behind the wall on the right. He looked at me, question in his eyes. I mouthed imperials. He raised his ax in response, so I know he heard me.

"Get this gate open." The captain said, as she heaved for breath. Her companion muttered something under his breath so that the captain didn't hear. The thick door lifted slowly. The imperials ran into the main room where Ralof and I were hiding. Ralof attacked the captain and I did the same, although I had no armor or weapons beside my claws. I hated the direct assault but I did it. I clawed the imperials faces, due to the inability to do any real damage against their armor. I clawed the imperial captains follower's eye and it popped. He screamed in pain. Ralof quickly lodged his ax into the man's face. I looked away to check on the captain. Dead. I picked up her sword quickly.

"I am going to find some armor." I told Ralof through gritted teeth. He looked at me in confusion.

"But...what's wrong with their armor?" He asked, pointing. I glanced at the two corpses, blood spilling from their wounds. I felt my eyes slit and narrow with disgust and distaste. He sighed. "OK, just be quick about it." He said as he began inspecting the corpses items and if they had any value. I darted down the dark hallway. I peeked around it, in case there were more imperials. The room was empty, tables were turned and chairs had fallen over. At any rate, it was definitely safe. I walked in to my left, where a chest sat, backed up to the wall. I opened it for a surprise. It was for a female who was same height as me and width as me. Hmm. I decided to think nothing of it. The chest was labelled 'warden' and I was no warden. I slipped my armor on, grabbed my sword and ran out of there taking one last glance at the room. It probably won't be here when I- **if** I return.

* * *

I crept up close to Ralof, examining the bear before my eyes. She was pretty; black pelt shining in the sunlight as she slept. She looked so peaceful. Ralof looked at me, disbelievingly. "You don't want to kill it because she looks - and I quote, 'peaceful'?" He asked, incrediculously.

"Yes." I said with finality. The bear had done nothing to provoke us, so why should we engage in pointless battle? I am not some cold-hearted killer who will kill what she sees.

"As long as I live, I will never understand you women." He muttered under his breath. I glared back at him and twitched my ear. He gave a short laugh. The bear woke and looked at me. Now, see what you've done, Ralof? My eyes slitted, I stared at the bear, waiting for its first move. It looked into my eyes and I looked into its. I think it knew that I didn't mean harm, so it turned around a few times and settled back to sleep. We snuck past successfully, without bloodshed.

"Whew! That was close." He exclaimed when we were out of the bears sight and hearing. I glared at him again, and this time he laughed long and hard. I looked back into the cave where the bear lived but jerked my head back to the entrance. I cannot wait to be out of this cave. I smiled.

* * *

I stood at the entrance of the cave, the sunlight and icy air beamed at me. I felt content with this odd mixture. "Quickly! Get down!" Ralof yelled and pushed me down. I was about to get back up when I saw a dragon flying overhead. **That** dragon. My anger and rage began to build. I felt like I had to chase it but I lifted myself up and exhaustion swept over me. I almost collapsed and would have, if not for Ralof who quickly balanced me. He seemed surprised at the feel of my fur that lined my arms. I scoffed. What doesn't surprise him? I murmured a thank you to him. He beamed brightly at me. "You know, if you've got no where to go, maybe you could come with me to Riverwood?" He asked hopefully.

"Well..." He was right, I suppose. "OK. Why? What's in Riverwood?" I asked conversationally as we walked down the road and he babbled on about his childhood and growing up.

"...That's why I serve Ulfric. He has good intentions." Ralof said proudly, thankfully finishing his babble. I rolled my eyes but smiled. It was refreshing to meet someone enthusiastic about their job. "So, what about you?" He asked. I tried to look into my mind, to find some memory.

"All I remember is getting off the ship at Solitude and walking the road to Whiterun. I have family there." I admitted. "That's when I was captured. Along with you, I might add." I smiled at him. He grinned back.

"OK, but what about your life? Your childhood and so forth?" He asked. I looked into my mind again, remembering my days as an orphan and flinched. He seemed to acknowledge that I was reluctant to revisit the past. "I understand." He said gently. We walked in silence for a while, passing trees and wild fauna as we walked. I picked a red flower from one of the patches and inhaled deeply. Mmm. I took it with me and put it in my right gauntlet. We walked until the sun came to set and a town was settled a small distance away. I looked at the structure. It looked like Helgen.

* * *

Ugh. Villagers. They haven't any idea how to get what they want without their coin. A merchant in Riverwood had paid me to hunt a thief who had stolen some trinket from his store. I rolled my eyes, but agreed nonetheless. I needed the gold if I was going to get anything. I examined my long bow. The string had broke three times already and it was wearing thin ywt again. I sighed. This had better be worth it. Ralof had decided it be best to part ways. Unfortunate, but I understood. It was easier to work alone anyway. He'd started on the path to Windhelm this morning, saying his goodbyes. I shook my head, waking me from my thoughts. I walked along the long bridge. I'd decided that I'll see the Jarl before I retrieve the claw. Yes, the trinket was supposed to be a golden dragon claw. If they were able to discover such treasure, why were dragons surprising? I shook my head again and focused on walking the road. I stared ahead at the winding road, trees waiting for me at the bend. I went around the corner, but stopped suddenly when I heard a howl. A wolf howl. I instinctively crouched and drew my bow. The string may not be the in the best condition, but I hoped it would still last for a few arrows. The wolves were facing the opposite direction, tails facing me. I sniffed the air. There was a slight breeze but it was pulling my scent toward the wolves. They would smell me for sure, were I in the right place. I silently drew an arrow from my quiver and aimed it at the wolf. It flew through the air, quickly and surely. It hit the wolf in the ribcage cleanly, few spurts of blood sprouted from the wound. My arrow was sticking out of his ashen pelt, jaw parted and whining apparent. I drew another arrow, aimed at the other wolf. He sniffed the arrow and his yellow eyes darted to me. I almost loosed my arrow when a **snap** filled the air, echoing with sound. The string had broken again and now the wolf ran at me, growling and snarling viciously. I threw the bow on the ground and stood, drawing a small, steel dagger. The wolf circled around me, jaws snapping at my feet as he went around.

"Come on." I snarled back, my ears were flattened against my head, my own teeth bared. The wolf seemed to take my word, as he lunged at me, his jaws clamped around my forearm. I winced in pain, but struck him with my dagger, stabbing him where his eyes were. Blood gushed out of the wound. I yanked the dagger, that had imbedded itself in his skull, out with great difficulty, shards of bone still clinging to the steel. It was covered with the scarlet liquid of blood. The wolf's lifeless body fell from my arm and landed at my feet, a pool of blood forming. I felt pity for these savage beasts, but no remorse. What they had attempted had been mindless and bloodthursty. My eyes turned to the bite marks on my arm, parted flesh and blood staining my own pelt. I cleaned the wound with my rough, cat-like tongue and wrapped a bandage around it. It was painful, but for the better. I continued on the path to Whiterun, passing the occasional deer or rabbit. The smell of nature filled my nose and I inhaled deeply, feeling overwhelmed and dizzy as birds chirped in the canopies of trees. I smiled, black spots starting to cloud my vision. I shook my head briskly. The black spots were still there when I felt the land tilt and I fell. Surprise cleared my vision, and I took a bracing position, eyes closed. Ready to hit the hard ground. A sharp pain hit my stomache and I yowled in pain, my eyes flashed open. A grey rock was imbedded in the flesh of Nirn. Figures. I slowly pushed myself up, finding it difficult to breathe. Winded. Numerous cuss words entered my mind and I repeated them over and over to keep my mind off the pain. I pushed myself up and kept my eyes open this time. I slid down the steep slope, landing in the marshy grass. I remembered the dagger in my belt and looked around wildly for any threats. None. In my survey of the land, I noticed a large building I'd crashed near and it had a sign nearby. I slowly pushed myself up, ignoring the protest of my stomache.

"Hey! Are you okay over there?" I heard a voice shout. I grunted as I lifted my head to acknowledge a man in yellow armour running towards me, his boots making a squidgy sound against the marshy ground.

"Do I look okay?" I sarcastically asked, laughing a little. My voice sounded weak and broken. I could almost hear him bristling under his helmet.

"No." He replied instead, as he reached down and put my arm around his shoulder. I tensed but let him anyway. We started walking.

"I'll be fine." I said, my voice growing slightly stronger. He just kept walking and shook his head. I tried to remove my arm but he had a strong grip and firmly held me there. I could feel my fur beginning to bristle. He sighed, so I knew he could feel it too.

"You are obviously injured. Have you even taken a look at yourself?" He tsked annoyingly. He reminded me of a fatherly figure."You know that it's a very long way down and there is a path that doesn't try to kill you?"

I snorted. "Yes, I knew. I just...Take me to see the Jarl." He looks at me curiously.

"Why?" He asked. I sighed.

"That information is for the Jarl himself, not just anyone who asks." I growl, my voice returning to normal. The guard looks at me suspiciously. I sigh. "You can accompany me if you must. I wasn't going to do anything drastic like assassinate the Jarl. I doubt I could in this condition anyway. And without a bow..." I wince in pain as we jump over a small but challenging log. I gasp as we land. I swallow deeply. And look up. A castle surrounded by stone walls was ahead, a path leading up to it. I started to get used to feeling the ground under my paws and start to walk limply. The guards eyes are filled with worry. I roll my own. We were approaching the Whiterun stables when battle cries were loosed in the air. My ears perk up at the sound of an angry roar. The ground shook and with every step I took, the more earth shattering every blow became. I nearly fell over and was very close to impaling myself with one of the farms wooden pickets that were leaning too far to the side. Thankfully the guard was there to help.

"Woah! Careful there." He lifted me up. I gave him a fanged smile. He smiled back. I looked over the fence I had fallen over and saw two warriors, cutting a giant down from the legs. While arrows flew through the air, attacking his face. The creature roared angrily, trying to crush the creatures below him with his large foot. Dirt was prayed up around the crater he'd made with his missed attack.

"Haha!" The male warrior yelled as he struck his toes. The giant roared in pain.

"May you take me to the Jarl now, please?" I asked. I'd seen enough. I was in a condition to walk and did so on my own. The guard kept an eye on me, however. He told me about the Jarl and what side he was on.

"Jarl Balgruuf is his name and he hasn't taken sides yet, due to the belief he doesn't need help. Yet. However, if such a day were to dawn, we would assume sides with the Imperial Legion." He explained.

"Why?" I asked, curious. The guard simply sighed.

"I...don't truthfully know. Perhaps he sees Ulfric trying to gain power for himself and only using crimes of the Thalmor as an excuse to kill any Imperial soldiers?" He thought aloud. He turned his eyes to me.

"What side are you on?" He asked, his voice sharp. I thought for a moment.

"I don't know yet. I would like to fight for Skyrim's freedom. I believe that Skyrim does belong to Nords so, thus, they should rule it. But I think that the Imperial Legion also wshes to find atonement for the White-Gold Concordat." I sighed.

"But then again, is it even my fight? A khajiit fighting for land I don't live on or am native to?"

The guard thought for a moment, staring thoughtfully.

"Do what is right." He said and produced a key from his pocket. I noticed we had reached the gate to Whiterun. Guards on either side of the great doors watched us warily. The doors opened, resulting in a gap large enough to fit a horse through. I walked through, silently wondering why they didn't open fully. As if he could read my mind, he said, "City's closed with the dragon's renowned presence in Skyrim." I nodded in understanding. Clearly, word of the dragons had spread quickly. People moved through the city as though all was normal, however. I suppose the guards had been ordered to prevent panic within. I noticed the guard stopped.

"Dragonreach is just at the top of this hill. I'm afraid I have to return to my post." He said, with a sad smile. I nodded.

"Farewell, then." I responded. He nodded and walked back through the gap we had just entered through. I walked along the path, acknowledging the petty problems of society. It was somewhat comforting, in this world full of nonsense. I made my way to a clearing, market stalls clinging to the edges. Sellers shouted from their stands, encouraging people to buy. I smiled at how normal it was. I walked up the steep steps, when I heard voices arguing. I cocked my head curiously. Their voices grew louder as I approached two redguards, male and female.

"I know your family's honour is important to you, but we can't afford it." The female spoke harshly, glaring at the man. I sat on a bench nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation. Or argument, it may seem. I smirked.

"I'm so close! I can't stop now." He said, excitedly. He smiled in the midst of their argument.

"So your willing to starve your wife and daughter, only to reclaim some rusty old sword?" Her voice was tinged with annoyance. He stared at her, the smile dropped from his face. He regained a serious expression, looking at her intently.

"I just need to hire one or two good men. You won't starve." He said coldly. The woman looked more and more angry.

"I'll put it plainly; you can claim your sword or you can keep your wife. If you set foot outside that gate, I won't be here when you return." She glared at him as she stormed away. He looked taken aback at his wife's departure and a bit panicky.

"Saffir! I..." He hung his head in defeat. I smiled. This smells like opportunity. I


End file.
